Has a bright paper package tied up with string always been one of your favorite things? If so, science might have an explanation. In a study of college students, scientists set out to test the hypothesis that an item packaged in wrapping paper elicits a more positive response from the recipient than one that remains unpackaged.
In the study, forty-five subjects were asked to evaluate a set of products and were promised a gift in exchange for their participation. Although each participant received an identical gift, half of the gifts were covered nicely in wrapping paper, while the other half were given without gift wrap. Reactions to the gift were examined by asking the participants to rate their perception of it. The participants who received gift-wrapped packages consistently gave the gift a higher rating.
Researchers then went a step further to test the extent to which the quality of the wrapping paper had an effect on the recipient's perception of the gift. Again, participants were each given an identical gift. One group received the gift elaborately wrapped with decorative paper and bows. A second group was given packages wrapped with brown paper and no bow. And a third group received the gift with no wrapping at all. Using a similar rating system, the researchers found that individuals were most satisfied with the gift when it was presented in elaborate paper, and least satisfied with the gift when it was not wrapped—even though it was an identical gift in each case.
The psychologists propose that this result is related to a learned response that associates wrapped packages with happy events in life, thus evoking a happier mood. So the next time you give a gift, remember, a little wrapping paper goes a long way.
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Sources
Barone, Michael J., Paul W. Miniard and Jean B. Romeo. "The Influence of Positive Mood on Brand Extension Evaluations." Journal of Consumer Research. 26 (2000): 386‑400.
Howard, Daniel J. "Gift-Wrapping Effects on Product Attitudes: A Mood-Biasing Explanation." Journal of Consumer Psychology. 1.3 (1992): 197‑223.
